Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 23115 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 116(@200wpm)___ 92(@250wpm)___ 77(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 23115 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 116(@200wpm)___ 92(@250wpm)___ 77(@300wpm)
“Come on, Briar. I think you know.”
Being a waitress at a truck stop teaches you how to deal with obnoxious people. Drunks, bullies, guys who just want a cup of coffee so they can catcall you while you’re working. So I have a thick skin. But Gareth cuts right through it.
His dark eyes meander over my body, and I’m suddenly embarrassed at how ratty I look. These jeans are falling apart, and I’ve worn this shirt three days in a row without a wash. My hair is a mess too.
But what do I care? I’m not trying to impress this man.
He arrested me on trumped-up charges! I shouldn’t give a damn what he thinks.
But as he pulls up a stool beside me and the warmth of his body drapes over me, I realize a terrible truth: I do care what Gareth Rawls thinks about me. I do.
And what’s even worse, I want him to like me.
“So is this your game?” I ask bitterly. “You just pull girls over and then bring them in here for questioning?”
To my surprise, he looks offended. “No. Never.”
I scoff. “You really expect me to believe that?”
Good God. My face is burning. All the way down to my chest. My nipples are hard under my shirt, and jealousy flares in me as I picture Gareth with other women here, in the same situation, his eyes taking in their bodies.
“Oh, so you’re a good guy?” I ask.
He looks down at me, eyes burning with mysteries I can’t decipher. “We’ll see.”
This man scares me. Being cuffed to this table scares me. So then why am I blushing? What is this damp sensation between my thighs? “Whatever you’re expecting here, it’s going to disappoint you.”
He raises his chin, frowning. “You think you would disappoint me, Briar?”
Reaching out, he brushes my hair back with a finger, then traces my cheekbone with his thumb, stopping just before my lips. The scent of his sweat makes my heart kick against my ribs.
“I…I know I would.”
Gareth leans closer and inhales deeply. Is he smelling me? Oh God. I missed my shower this morning. He’s going to hate it.
“You’re a virgin. Aren’t you, Briar?”
I could lie. I do it all the time at the diner. But Gareth isn’t just some nosy trucker. He’s a cop. He’d know. And the thought of him knowing I lied to him is somehow worse than him knowing the truth.
“Is that a standard interrogation question, Officer? Because it seems more personal.”
Gareth breathes a hungry breath, expanding his already massive chest. “Personal or not, I need an answer.”
“Yes, I am.” I hold his gaze, fighting against the blush. “And you’re a mind reader?”
Gareth’s lips shift slightly, twisting into something close to a smile. The tip of his tongue slips out like a snake. His pupils dilate, as though he’s discovered a treasure he’s been searching for.
“You’ve got a smart mouth, Briar. But you know something?”
“What?”
“Mine’s talented as well.”
He looks at me for a moment, like he’s fighting a war within himself. Then, he gets to his feet, walks to the door, and twists the deadbolt, locking us in. It’s then I notice the mirror on the wall beside me.
Big. Rectangular. The kind you only see in movies.
My stomach drops. No, not a mirror. A window. And there could be men on the other side right now. Men could be watching.
“This is one of those interrogation rooms, isn’t it? Like in the movies?”
Gareth nods, circling around the table to tower over me. “You’re smart, too. I like that.”
My eyes move down his body completely on their own. I can’t help it. I take in every detail, including the bulge between his legs, so blatantly obvious.
Wow. Is that…for me?
I’ve never felt like this before. Buzzing all over. On edge. Jesus, I’m…I’m horny!
The need in his eyes is awakening something in me that’s never been touched. This man who pulled me over and arrested me under false pretenses…I want to please him. Submit to him, beyond just being cuffed to the table.
But I don’t even know him. All he is is a corrupt cop. A gorgeous, terrifying, corrupt cop, and apparently, I’m the kind of girl who finds that attractive. Which is news to me.
Still, this is not how, or where, I imagined losing my virginity.
I’m used to standing up for myself. And I’m not about to let this complete stranger have me just because he wants to.
“Smart enough to know I can demand a lawyer.”
Gareth’s eyes light up. The corners of his lips twist up. “Yes. Yes, you can, Miss Beeman. But in the meantime…” He leans in close, and before I know it, has a hand up my shirt.
My chest tightens and my pulse races as he cups my bare breast in his rough palm, rolling my nipple between his thumb and forefinger.